Swans - Collingwood rivalry

[SWANSBEST]

This is one match that I am eagerly anticipating and it will not require a lot of talking up by the coaches and Eddie etc to draw a big crowd. .





Malthouse predicts strong Swans rivalry
7:31:32 PM Wed 4 February, 2004
Karen Collins
afl.com.au
Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse believes the Magpies? match against the Sydney Swans at Telstra Stadium in the second week of the split round will lend itself to a healthy long-term rivalry between the clubs.

The AFL will be hoping the stand alone fixture in round 13, will emulate the massive success of last season when 72,393 turned out for the Magpies? 18-point victory in round 21.



?Collingwood and Essendon Anzac Day, Collingwood and Melbourne Queen?s Birthday, they are locked in,? Malthouse told afl.com.au before Wednesday?s training session in Sydney during AFL Community Camp week.

?Now if this game becomes that type of game it will certainly be one of these traditional games down the track people will look to it.

?The game we played here last year was outstanding. Very rarely does a coach talk to another coach - whether it be the assistant coach or whatever - about the crowd.

?But last year really was a memory of how dedicated Sydney supporters were to their side and how informed and how vocal they were. It was a terrific occasion to have 70,000 people (at Telstra Stadium).?

Though Malthouse feels both clubs will be disadvantaged having to play their round 14 match against a rested opponent, he can see more advantages.

?On the positive side of it I think that anything that can generate a rivalry is good for footy and it will generate that.

?One side of me says we are going to be disadvantaged, both sides, but on the other side it says what a great opportunity.?

Malthouse hopes the stadium in Sydney?s west will be near capacity ? whether or not both clubs are in the eight ? and a place where sports fans will experience an exciting brand of football.

?I know at Collingwood (the fans would support us regardless of our position) because we are a traditionally based side that has a wonderful support base that supports us through thick and through thin, but I can?t answer that for Sydney.

?One would like to think that we fill the stadium up that makes money for Sydney, gives Collingwood a higher profile and gives football a higher profile in this state.?http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=new...ticleid=132439

[Doctor J.]

Re: Swans - Collingwood rivalry

?I know at Collingwood (the fans would support us regardless of our position) because we are a traditionally based side that has a wonderful support base that supports us through thick and through thin, but I can?t answer that for Sydney.

Talk about an underhand sledge of Sydney supporters.
THis sort of crap really pisses me off big time. Its like Collingwood are the only club with a huge loyal supporter base because they have been stuck on the Yarra River since Lou Richards mum first wet her nappy, and no one else in the game has any sort of tradition or faithful supporters at all.

Give me a break!!!

[BAM_BAM]

Ditto for me Doc.

[ItsAllGoodes]

?I know at Sydney (the fans would support us regardless of our position) because we are a traditionally based side which underwent a re-birth, that has a wonderful support base that supports us through thick and through thin, that has stuck with the club despite the move to Sydney, has chosen to support the club even if it meant adopting a new code, that has remained loyaly despite 70+ years without achieving the ultimate success, but I can?t answer that for Collingwood."

[Rod_]

I know that I have supported the team through the ups and downs. I also know a lot of fans that have supported the team over those years.


Rod_

[Damien]

Re: Re: Swans - Collingwood rivalry

Originally posted by Doctor J.
Talk about an underhand sledge of Sydney supporters.
THis sort of crap really pisses me off big time. Its like Collingwood are the only club with a huge loyal supporter base because they have been stuck on the Yarra River since Lou Richards mum first wet her nappy, and no one else in the game has any sort of tradition or faithful supporters at all.

Give me a break!!!

I apologise in advance, I am about to agree with a Collingwood person lol.

He is right...IMO Swans 'fans' have not proven anything. They came back in droves in 2003 on the back of hype. A huge amount of our fans are bloody disgraceful. Correct me if I am wrong but 2002 saw us drop to like 16 thousand fans for a Freo match??

Our HARDCORE fan base has grown considerably since 1996, no doubt, but we still have a lot of fairweather friends in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Our fanbase being questioned by Collingwood, albeit in a round about way is fair enough IMO.

I think if we were on the bottom of the ladder by the Collingwood match, we would come close to be outnumbered by them.

[Cheer Cheer]

Re: Re: Re: Swans - Collingwood rivalry

Originally posted by Damien
IOur fanbase being questioned by Collingwood, albeit in a round about way is fair enough IMO.

It is and they are about the only team in the AFL to comment as well.

They get the same crowds pretty much game in game out - especially at Telstra dome -

They have around 30 - 35 k that go to every game at least week in week out -

They inject alot of cash into the home team if it is an away game for them - more than any other club.

We are not asking for assistance any more ? Last years game and revenue from Collingwood supporters went along way for us not asking for AFL assistance this yr.

There is only one thing we should model ourselves on compared to Pie supporters - that is loyaltly and numbers at games

We are a fair way off at the moment.

[Reggi]

>Sorry Cheer Cheer, that is Collingwood mythology and simply not true.

For one thing you are including opposition supporters in those numbers 80% of <Collingwood games in Melb include substantial away crowds - 90% of supporters at Swans games are Swans supporters - we don't get that many - our worst crowds these days are around 20,000.

Collingwood supporters do drop off - in their lean years compare the ANZAC day crowds to the return match?

I can recall playing them late in 2000 at the MCG and half that crowd would have been Sydney supporters - of around 25,000.

don't remeber many mentioing the drop-off then

Personally I think if Sydney wanted an occasion side the better choice would have been S&Don - bigger support nationally and rarely turn into the rabble Collingwood do

[Cheer Cheer]

Reggi - I wasn't including opposition numbers in those figures

Of course every team in the comp has drop offs when the team isn't going that well - thats news to no one

But whether you like it or not Collingwood is the yard stick I know it's hard to swallow by your comments, but I dream of Sydney having a supporter base in numbers like Collingwood

We will get there

[Charlie]

Cheer Cheer - Collingwood have big numbers, and like all clubs they have big drop-offs.

The divide between big club and small club in Melbourne must be looked at in the context of the same firms competing in the same marketplace for well over a hundred years, with some firms having won allegiance through successful periods. Essendon had their first great era in which they recruiting large numbers of fans way back in the 1890s. A lot of Collingwood's support goes back to them winning 11 of the first 40 premierships. Support flows on through the generations, and the result is that Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon are ahead of the pack. The Dogs, Hawks and North came along literally 40 years after Essendon and Carlton were making their impact... little wonder that they are smaller (Hawthorn had that sustained period of success which explains their position as a bigger club).

If Collingwood want to slap themselves on the back and say well done, good for them. Just as long as they thank Jock McHale and Gordon Coventry at the same time.

[Snowy]

Reggi, the talk down here in Melbourne is that Essendon fans have dropped off and that many of those were teenies who joined the bandwagon but don't like them losing. Statistics bear this out as well. One thing Collingwood do well is crowds. Even in their lean years they were still in the top couple of teams for crowds. They have drop-offs but not as much as others. I was disappointed in our drop-offs and our crowds early last year were not promising. After some wins many came back.

[Reggi]

Stats don't bare it out

Until recently collingwood were around 6th in the membership tables - up now because they were a premiership chance.

Until 2003 Collingwood appeared only once in the top ten crowds at games held outside Victoria - the one against Sydney was for Tony Lockett's 1300th goal (the other teams were actually S&Don Adealide Geelong and West Coast) - at all other grounds Gabba SCG Footy Park Subiaco they appeared once - in fact Sydney appeared more times.

If the AFL did not rig the draw especially in the early rnds so that Collingwood played the likes of Freo and Port in Melb then there average attendences would come screaming back to the pack.

It's a myth - mostly marketing on the part of Collingwood.

[Snowy]

I was referring more to crowds in Vic. And I have this book which suggested they were one of the best pulling team even when they won a wooden spoon in the seventies. I know the they get on your nerves Reggi, and on the nerves of most of us but really believe we cannot hold a candle to them when it comes to crowds. You have to talk about consistency overall.

[Ajn]

The collingwood band wagon will roll on, but as long as they never win WHO CARES

[SETH]

I think there will be a lot of pressure on Collingwood to go one better this year. They've been there the last 2 years and have come up short twice. The fans might also start to get impatient if they fail again and their crowds might fall because of it.